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Aitech, which has been producing embedded Linux-driven systems for military/aerospace and rugged industrial applications since at least 2004, announced that Concurrent Real-Time’s hardened RedHawk Linux RTOS will be available on two Linux-ready embedded systems based on the Nvidia Jetson TX2 module. With Redhawk Linux standing in for the default Nvidia Linux4Tegra stack, the military-grade A176 Cyclone and recently released, industrial-focused A177 Twister systems can “enhance real-time computing for mission-critical applications,” says Aitech.

Here, we’ll take a closer look at the A177 Twister, which was announced in October as a video capture focused variant of the similar, MIL/AERO targeted A176 Cyclone. Both of these “SWaP-optimized (size, weight and power) supercomputers” are members of Aitech’s family of GPGPU RediBuilt computers, which also include PowerPC and Intel Core based systems.

We’ll also briefly examine an “EV178 Development System” for an Nvidia Xavier based A178 Thunder system that was revealed at Embedded World. The A178 Thunder targets MIL/AERO, as well as autonomous vehicles and other applications (see farther below).

Both the A177 Twister and A176 Cyclone systems deploy the Arm-based Jetson TX2module in a rugged, small form factor (SFF) design. The TX2 module features 2x high-end “Denver 2” cores and 4x Cortex-A57 cores. There’s also a 256-core Pascal GPU with CUDA libraries for running AI and machine learning algorithms.

A177 Twister (left) and Jetson TX2
(click images to enlarge)

The TX2 module is further equipped with 8GB LPDDR4 and 32GB eMMC 5.1. Other rugged TX2-based systems include Axiomtek’s eBOX800-900-FL.

The RedHawk Linux RTOS distribution, which was announced in 2005, is based on Red Hat Linux and the security-focused SELinux. RedHawk offers a hardened real-time Linux kernel with ultra-low latency and high determinism. Other features include support for multi-core architectures and x86 and ARM64 target platforms.

The RedHawk BSP also includes “NightStar” GUI debugging and analysis tools, which were announced with the initial RedHawk distro. NightStar supports hot patching “and provides a complete graphical view of multithreaded applications and their interaction with the Linux kernel,” says Concurrent Real-Time.

A177 Twister

The A177 Twister leverages the Jetson TX2 and its “CUDA and deep learning acceleration capabilities to easily handle the complex computational requirements needed in embedded systems that are managing multiple data and video streams,” says Aitech. The system is optimized for video capture, processing, and overlays.

A177 Twister
(click image to enlarge)

The A177 Twister supports applications including robotics, automation and optical inspection systems in industrial facilities, as well as for autonomous aircraft and ground environments,” says Aitech. Other applications include security and surveillance, mining and excavating computers, complex marine and boating applications, and agricultural machinery.

The 148 x 148 x 63mm A177 Twister is protected against ingress per IP67. The fanless system weighs 2.2 lbs. (just under 1Kg) and supports -20 to 65°C temperatures.

The Jetson TX2 module supplies 8GB LPDDR4 and 32GB eMMC 5.1. The A177 Twister adds a microSD slot with optional preconfigured card, as well as an optional “Mini-SATA SSD with Quick Erase and Secure Erase support.”

The system shares many features with the A176 Cyclone, with the major difference being that it adds optional WiFi-ac and Bluetooth 4.1, as well as support for simultaneous capture of up to 8x RS-170A (NTSC/PAL) composite video channels at full frame rates. It also has lower ruggedization levels and a smaller 6-24V input range compared to 11-36V, among other differences.

As shown in the spec-sheet above, you can purchase the Twister with and without 8x composite inputs and/or 1x SDI input with up to 1080/60 H.264 encoding. There’s also a choice of composite or SDI frame grabbers, both, or none at all. The one SKU that offers all of the above sacrifices the single USB 3.0 port.

Power consumption is typically 8-10W with a maximum of 17W. The system also provides reverse polarity and EMC protections, hardware accelerated AES encryption/decryption, temperature sensors, elapsed time recorder, and dynamic voltage and frequency scaling.

EV178 Development System for A178 Thunder

Aitech revealed an A178 Thunder< at computer at Embedded World. The company recently followed up with a formal announcement and product page for an EV178 Development System that helps unlock the computer for early customers.

EV178 Development System for A178 Thunder (left) and Jetson AGX Xavier

Built around Nvidia’s high-end Jetson AGX Xavier module, the compact, Linux-driven A178 Thunder “is the most advanced solution for video and signal processing, deep-learning accelerated, for the next generation of autonomous vehicles, surveillance and targeting systems, EW systems, and many other applications,” says Aitech. The EV178 Development System for A178 Thunder processes at up to 11 TFLOPS (Terra floating point operations per second) and 22 TOPS (Terra operations per second), says Aitech.

The Jetson AGX Xavier has greater than 10x the energy efficiency and more than 20x the performance of the Jetson TX2, claims Nvidia. The 105 x 87 x 16mm Xavier module features 8x ARMv8.2 cores and a high-end, 512-core Nvidia Volta GPU with 64 tensor cores with 2x Nvidia Deep Learning Accelerator (DLA) — also called NVDLA — engines. The module is also equipped with a 7-way VLIW vision chip, as well as 16GB 256-bit LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB eMMC 5.1.EV178 Development System for A178 Thunder
(click image to enlarge)

Preliminary specs for the EV178 Development System for A178 Thunder include:

Nvidia Jetson AGX Xavier module

4x simultaneous SDI (SD/HD) video capture channels

8x simultaneous Composite (RS-170A [NTSC]/PAL) video capture channels

Gigabit Ethernet

HDMI output

USB 3.0

UART Serial

Discretes

Pre-installed Linux OS, drivers, and test applications

Cables and external power supply

Further information

Concurrent’s RedHawk Linux RTOS appears to be available now as an optional build for the A177 Twister and earlier A176 Cyclone, both of which appear to be available with undisclosed pricing. No ship date was announced for the EV178 Development System for A178 Thunder. More information may be found in Aitech’s RedHawk Linux announcement, as well as the A177 Twister product page. More on the A178 Thunder may be found in the EV178 Development System for A178 Thunder announcementand product page.

Digi International has announced the Digi WR54, a rugged, secure, high-performance wireless router for complex mobile and industrial environments. With dual cellular interfaces, Digi WR54 provides immediate carrier failover for near-constant uptime and continuous connectivity, especially as vehicles move throughout a city or for locations with marginal cellular coverage. Together with a hardened milspec-certified design and built-in Digi TrustFence security framework, this LTE-Advanced router is designed specifically to meet the connectivity challenges inherent in multi-location, on-the-move conditions, from rail and public transit to trucking fleets and emergency vehicle applications.

LTE-Advanced technologies with carrier aggregation are pushing theoretical download speeds to 300 Mbps, and the next generation of cellular radios is capable of aggregating three or more channels for capabilities up to 600 Mbps. It’s expected that 5G deployments this year will push the demands for performance and edge computing even further. Digi WR54 provides an LTE-Advanced cellular module built on a platform that supports higher speeds to optimize bandwidth today while also being positioned for the future as network capabilities improve.

The Digi WR54 architecture supports these performance requirements with not just the aforementioned LTE-Advanced cellular module, but four Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired systems and the latest 802.11 ac Wi-Fi which combine to support the needs of any user. Other key features include:

Dual-core 880 MHz MIPS processor: designed with this high-speed architecture, the Digi WR54 is future-built with a CPU capable of supporting higher network speeds and capabilities as infrastructure is updated to support them

SAE J1455, MILSTD-810G and IP-54 rated: tested and certified to withstand water, dust, heat, vibration and other environmental challenges suitable to transportation and many industrial applications

Optional dual-cellular radios for continuous connectivity between carriers: for users that cannot afford downtime, if the primary cellular carrier drops out, the Digi WR54 automatically and immediately switches over to the secondary carrier

Digi TrustFence: a device-security framework that simplifies the process of securing connected devices and adapts to new and evolving threats

Digi Remote Manager: with this Digi web-based management tool, users can simply manage their devices, receive alerts and monitor the health of their deployed devices

For users looking to add high-speed passenger Wi-Fi to mass transit systems, the recently launched Digi WR64 dual LTE-Advanced cellular and dual 802.11ac Wi-Fi router offers an all-in-one mobile communications solution for secure cellular connectivity between vehicles and a central operations center. It offers a flexible interface design with integrated Wi-Fi for client and access point connectivity along with USB, serial, a four-port wired Ethernet switch, GPS and Bluetooth in order to consolidate multiple transit or industrial applications into a single, consolidated router.

Renesas Electronics has unveiled the RX66T Group of microcontrollers (MCUs). The chips are the first members of Renesas’ flagship 32-bit RX MCU family based on the new third-generation RXv3 CPU core. The new MCUs leverage advanced CPU core technology to achieve substantially improved performance, as much as 2.5 times better than previous RX family MCUs.

Combining the powerful new RXv3 core with the strengths of the current RX62T and RX63T MCUs, the new RX66T MCUs address the real-time performance and enhanced stability required by inverter control. The new MCUs are ideal for use in industrial applications in next-generation smart factory equipment, such as industrial motors, power conditioners and robots, as well as smart home appliances, including air conditioners and washing machines.When operating at 160 MHz, the RX66T MCUs achieve best-in-class performance of 928 CoreMark 2, enabling more precise inverter control. The MCUs can control up to four motors simultaneously, making them well-suited for conventional motor control and applications requiring multi-axis motor control, such as compact industrial robots and personal robots, which are quickly growing in popularity.

In addition, the RX66T’s extra processing capacity allows developers to add programs utilizing embedded AI (e-AI) for motor fault detection. Such programs can detect motor faults and identify fault location in real time based on the motor’s current or vibration characteristics. Providing this capability offers developers the significant value-add of productivity, safety, and quality. The RX66T MCUs also integrate a 5V power supply that delivers excellent noise tolerance.

With more and more devices ranging from robots and power conditioners to washers and dryers joining the Internet of Things, motorized devices in the field will require online firmware updates throughout their life cycles. Applying e-AI for predictive failure diagnostics requires endpoint MCUs to be securely updated with learning results generated in the cloud. The RX66T MCU Group incorporates Renesas’ Trusted Secure IP (TSIP), which has a track record of CAVP certification3 and provides secure firmware updates and encrypted communication.

High-speed flash memory with 120 MHz maximum read operation to reduce speed differential with the CPU and realize both high performance and a consistent execution

Reduces footprint and component count by generating three-phase complementary pulse width modulation (PWM) output for up to four motors using 112-pin and 144-pin package MCUs, and up to three motors using 64-pin, 80-pin and 100-pin package MCUs

Configurations available with 16 KB of error correction code (ECC) SRAM, and up to 128 KB of SRAM with single-cycle access and single-bit error detection (parity checking) for high reliability

Ability to generate high-resolution PWM signals with a minimum state change duration of 195 picoseconds (1.6 times better than existing RX products) for power conditioner or digital power supply control applications

The Renesas Motor Workbench 2.0 supports 20kHz real-time debugging and adds 10 new functions and an RX66T CPU card for the 24V Motor Control Evaluation Kit are available now.

The new RX66T Group comprises 80 MCUs with pin counts ranging from 64 to 144 pins and on-chip flash memory sizes of 256 KB to 1,024 KB. Mass production starts today for the widely used 100-pin package MCU with 256 KB or 512 KB of program flash and 64 KB of SRAM. Other MCU versions will release over time. Pricing for the RX66T MCU Group starts at $3.25 per unit in 10,000-unit quantities.

Infineon Technologies has launched the IFX007T NovalithIC motor driver for industrial applications. The IFX007T smart half-bridge provides an easy and efficient way to drive brushed and brushless motors, integrating a p-channel high-side MOSFET, an n-channel low-side MOSFET and a driver IC into one package. Along with a microcontroller and power supply, no other devices are necessary to drive a motor.

For many years, Infineon has followed this NovalithIC integrated approach for automotive applications. According to Infineon, the IFX007T now allows industrial system designers to benefit from this experience. It is qualified according to JESD47I and can be used to drive motors with supplies up to 40 V and peak currents up to 55 A. The broad application range includes pumps, healthcare, home and garden appliances as well as industrial automation, fans and many more.

Ease-of-use is a key benefit of the integrated solution. System designers save layout and manufacturing effort while reducing stray inductances and external components. Additionally, only three general purpose microcontroller pins are needed to control a full H-bridge.

The IFX007T has integrated self-protection, including over-temperature and cross-current protection. Within an H-bridge configuration, the half-bridge approach provides logic redundancy—if one device fails, the other can still stop the motor.

Another key benefit is the flexible motor control. The IFX007T can be used in either half-bridge, H-bridge or three-phase configurations. Furthermore, the motor speed can be adjusted via pulse width modulation (PWM) up to 25 kHz. Active freewheeling is possible from either the high side or the low side. An adjustable slew rate enables reduction of electromagnetic emissions.

Digital factories require a surprising amount of analog and power technology. Exemplifying that trend, Maxim Integrated Products offers its new programmable logic controller (PLC) reference design called Go-IO. Go-IO embeds 17 configurable I/Os in a space one-half the size of a credit card and enables productivity-enhancing self-diagnostic capabilities in automated factory subsystems. System designers are striving to bring greater intelligence into Industry 4.0 digital factory equipment while meeting the stringent size and power demands of PLCs.Digital factories can dynamically adjust the manufacturing line on the fly based on new or changing requirements. To fully realize industrial convergence, automated equipment must also possess self-diagnostic and optimization capabilities. Go-IO pushes intelligence closer to the edge, enabling active monitoring and communication of equipment health and status information as well as higher throughput and productivity. The reference design also meets increasingly stringent size and power requirements of PLCs, providing a 10x smaller solution with 50% less power consumption compared to its predecessor, the Pocket IO.

The flexible, rugged, open-source Go-IO reference design is ideal for industrial automation, building automation and industrial robotics applications. It has 12 highly integrated ICs, 17 IOs supporting multiple digital IO configurations, a 4-channel IO-Link master to provide a universal IO interface to both analog and digital sensors, and a robust 25 Mbps isolated RS-485 communications channel that provides a reliable, multi-drop data network for uploading time-sensitive health and status information into a local data lake or the cloud.

Texas Instruments (TI) has introduced four tiny precision data converters. The new data converters enable designers to add more intelligence and functionality, while shrinking system board space. The DAC80508 and DAC70508 are eight-channel precision digital-to-analog converters (DACs) that provide true 16- and 14-bit resolution, respectively. The ADS122C04 and ADS122U04 are 24-bit precision analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that feature a two-wire, I2C-compatible interface and a two-wire, UART-compatible interface, respectively. The devices are optimized for a variety of small-size, high-performance or cost-sensitive industrial, communications and personal electronics applications. Examples include optical modules, field transmitters, battery-powered systems, building automation and wearables.

Both DACs include a 2.5-V, 5-ppm/°C internal reference, eliminating the need for an external precision reference. Available in a 2.4-mm-by-2.4-mm die-size ball-grid array (DSBGA) package or wafer chip-scale package (WCSP) and a 3-mm-by-3-mm quad flat no-lead (QFN)-16 package, these devices are up to 36 percent smaller than the competition. The new DACs eliminate the typical trade-off between high performance and small size, enabling engineers to achieve the best system accuracy, while reducing board size or increasing channel density.

In addition to their compact size, the DAC80508 and DAC70508 provide true, 1 least significant bit (LSB) integral nonlinearity to achieve the highest level of accuracy at 16- and 14-bit resolution – up to 66 percent better linearity than the competition. They are fully specified over a -40°C to +125°C extended temperature range and provide features such as cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to increase system reliability.

The tiny, 24-bit precision ADCs are available in 3-mm-by-3-mm very thin QFN (WQFN)-16 and 5-mm-by-4.4-mm thin-shrink small-outline package (TSSOP)-16 options. The two-wire interface requires fewer digital isolation channels than a standard serial peripheral interface (SPI), reducing the overall cost of an isolated system. These precision ADCs eliminate the need for external circuitry by integrating a flexible input multiplexer, a low-noise programmable gain amplifier, two programmable excitation current sources, an oscillator and a precision temperature sensor.

Both ADC devices feature a low-drift 2.048-V, 5-ppm/°C internal reference. Their internal 2 percent accurate oscillators help designers improve power-line cycle noise rejection, enabling higher accuracy in noisy environments. With gains from 1 to 128 and noise as low as 100 nV, designers can measure both small-signal sensors and wide input ranges with one ADC. These device families, which also include pin-to-pin-compatible 16-bit options, give designers the flexibility to meet various system requirements by scaling performance up or down.

Engineers can evaluate the new data converters with the DAC80508 evaluation module, the ADS122C04 evaluation module and the ADS122U04 evaluation module, all available today for $99.00 from the TI store and authorized distributors.

TI’s new tiny DACs and ADCs are available now with pricing ranging from $3.95 to $9.99 (1,000s).

TDK has announced the introduction of the TDK-Lambda 1500 W rated CUS1500M series of AC-DC power supplies. This extends the CUS-M family of products, to now cover 30 W to 1500 W. The CUS1500M has both medical and ITE (Information Technology Equipment) certifications and is ideally suited for industrial, medical, cosmetic laser treatment and analysis equipment requiring less than 300 µA earth leakage current, low audible noise and class B EMI.

The 1500 W additions are available with 12, 15, 24, 36 and 48 V outputs, adjustable from -15/+20% (+15% for the 48 V) of nominal. All models accept an 85 to 265Vac input and can operate at full load in -20oC to +50oC ambient temperatures, derating linearly to 60% load from +50oC to +60oC. High operating efficiencies of up to 88% reduce internal waste heat and component temperatures, resulting in electrolytic capacitor service life predictions of at least ten years.

The CUS1500M measures 127 mm x 63 mm x 261 mm and has a seven-year warranty. Other features include a 5 V, 1 A standby voltage, remote on/off, parallel operation of up to five units, an isolated open collector DC good / fan fail signal and a variable speed fan that produces 45 dBA (typical) at 30°C at 70% load.

To facilitate safe and easy installation, output cable connections are made to screw terminal blocks with covers rather than bus bars. The terminal block can also be quickly configured for either a vertical or horizontal wiring orientation.

Operating from 36 VIN to 60 VIN, the PI354x regulates an output voltage ranging from 2.2 V to 14 V and delivers an output current delivery up to 10 A. Power delivery can be further increased by using single wire current sharing without any additional components. The PI354x series is designed for a wide range of applications leveraging higher voltage distribution, including: telecom, network infrastructure, data centers, industrial, battery and lighting applications.

When used in conjunction with the Vicor front-end products and factorized power products, the PI354x series enables a complete power chain from AC or HVDC (200 V+) source to PoL. The PI354x series expands and enhances the Vicor Power Component Design Methodology.

Analog Devices has announced the Power by Linear LTC3372, an integrated power management solution for systems that require multiple low voltage outputs generated from an input voltage as high as 60 V. The LTC3372 features a 60 V synchronous buck switching regulator controller followed by four configurable synchronous monolithic buck regulators. This combination provides up to five high efficiency low quiescent current outputs in a single IC, well-suited for automotive, industrial and medical applications.

The LTC3372’s buck controller operates over a 4.5 V to 60 V input voltage range and drives an all N-channel MOSFET power stage. Its output can be programmed to either 3.3 V or 5 V and can generate an output current up to 20 A. The controller output is typically used to feed the four monolithic buck regulators. Each monolithic buck channel can be programmed to regulate an output voltage as low as 0.8 V with a configurable output current up to 4 A. Eight 1 A integrated power stages are programmed by the C1-C3 pins into one of eight unique configurations, from a quad 2 A buck to a dual 4 A buck. This allows only one inductor per channel.

The LTC3372 offers a low IQ solution ideal for battery-powered or automotive applications in which one or more power supply rails are always on. With just the high voltage controller enabled, the device draws 15 µA from a 12 V input supply while regulating the output to 5 V at no load. Each monolithic buck regulator adds only 8 µA of additional IQ per channel enabled. The LTC3372’s monolithic buck switching frequency can be programmed from 1 MHz to 3 MHz and can be synchronized to an external clock while the buck controller switches at 1/6 of this frequency. Additional features include foldback current limiting, soft-start, short-circuit protection and output overvoltage protection.

The LTC3372 is available from stock in a thermally enhanced 48-pin 7 mm × 7 mm QFN package. E and I grades are specified over an operating junction temperature range of –40°C to 125°C, and the H grade features operation from –40°C to 150°C.

Maxim Integrated Products has announced the MAX22500E, MAX22501E and MAX22502, a set of RS-485 transceivers that enable Industrial designers to achieve 2x faster data rates and extend cable length by up to 50%. With motion control systems requiring more accuracy over longer distances, system designers are challenged to maintain faster data rates and achieve robust communications with longer cables. A production site, for example, may not efficiently function with a slow data rate and short cables as it must transfer accurate information quickly and over a long distance.

The MAX22500E/MAX22501E (half-duplex) and MAX22502E (full-duplex) ESD-protected RS-485/RS-422 transceivers extend the reach of communication up to 100 Mbps over 50 m. This provides the industry’s fastest data rates for accurate, cost-effective, and robust communication across long cables for a variety of motion control applications. The settable pre-emphasis feature within the MAX22500E and MAX22502E enables 2x faster data rates compared to competitive solutions for increased encoder resolution and reduced latency. Pre-emphasis extends cables up to 50% longer to communicate over longer distances. A large receiver hysteresis (250 mV) provides superior robustness to EFT. In addition, by improving the signal integrity and robustness, system designers can achieve the same level of performance with lower-cost cables. The transceivers operate over the -40℃ to +125℃ temperature range.

Intersil, a subsidiary of Renesas Electronics, has announced two new high-speed, isolated RS-485 differential bus transceivers that provide 40 Mbps bidirectional data communication for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks. The ISL32741E offers 1,000 VRMS working voltage and 6 kV of reinforced isolation, more than 2x higher than competitive solutions. The higher working voltage and reinforced isolation is required for today’s most rigorous medical and high-speed motor control applications. The ISL32740E with 2.5kV of isolation and 600VRMS working voltage comes in a small package, enabling high channel density for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in factory automation applications.

The ISL3274xE transceivers provide additional advantages over other isolation technologies, including ultra-low radiated emission and EMI susceptibility, support for up to 160 devices on the bus, and an extended 125°C temperature range. These devices leverage giant magneto-resistance (GMR) technology that provides galvanic isolation to keep the communication bus free from common-mode noise generated in electrically noisy factory and building automation environments. The ISL32740E and ISL32741E 40 Mbps RS-485 transceivers are available now with prices ranging from $3.79 to $4.79 depending on package type and temperature range. Evaluation boards are available for $99.

Analog Devices’s new ADXL1001 and ADXL1002 high-frequency, low-noise MEMS accelerometers are designed for industrial condition-monitoring applications. The accelerometers deliver the high-resolution vibration measurements needed for the early detection of machine failure (e.g., bearing faults).

u-blox and Wirepas recently announced a partnership to offer an advanced decentralized radio communications solution for industrial Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Comparable with advanced mesh technology, the solution is intended to make large-scale, decentralized industrial IoT networks easy to deploy.

Certified for use in several countries, NINA-B1 is a compact, stand-alone Bluetooth low energy (BLE) module intended for a variety of applications, including as connected buildings and telematics. With Wirepas Connectivity software, the NINA-B1 enables you to develop easy-to-install, large scale, industrial IoT applications.

The RIO-2010 is a web-based remote I/O control module. The Ethernet-ready module is equipped with eight relays, 16 photo-isolated digital inputs, and a 1-Wire interface for digital temperature sensor connection. The RIO-2010’s built-in web server enables you to access the I/O and use a standard web browser to remotely control the RIO-2010’s relay.

The RIO-2010 can be easily integrated into supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and industrial automation systems using the standard Modbus TCP protocol. The I/O module also comes with RS-485 serial interface for applications requiring Modbus RTU/ASCII. Its built-in web server enables you to use standard web-editing tools and Ajax dynamic page technology to customize your webpage.